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Star Trek Ascendancy/Pilot (Part 1)
The USS Faragut arrives at the Beta Quadrant with a new crew and new mission. (Series premiere) '' Summary Teaser In the Beta Quadrant the ISS Ascendant approaches a stormy M class planet, and descends into a violent grey cloud front. Lightning strikes over its shields and into the cloud, ominously it emerges from the storm over a devastated smuggler settlement. The sheltering locals are mostly green skinned Orions, they look-up at the ship and in their language begin to speculate and point- one word is understandable "Starfleet". As the Orions begin to wave at the starship they see their hoarded shimmer and transport away, then as they realize and begin to shout at the overhead ship the phaser banks of the Ascendant open up on them. Explosions and lightning destroy the smuggler colony. Act One Commander Ado Soninke, First Officer and Science Officer of the [[USS Faraday (alternate reality)|USS ''Faraday]] stand by the empty captain's chair overseeing the survey of the Orion trading outpost on Eris VII. He orders the Faraday into low orbit above the main trading settlement and calms the navigator when he reports two Orion Interceptors are shadowing them before asking communications for a line to the Captain. He then speaks from the bridge to the surface of the planet, reporting the Captain that he hopes things are going well below and that the "Orions are getting a little testy, two interceptors are following us, this is probably to do with that treasure fleet they expected in hours ago..." On the surface it is a warm and beautiful rainforest paradise, and along a green path there is a stone cantina, with stone features and tables overgrown with moss and bordered by ferns. A mix of species move about, drink, or play cards, as Captain Alex Chartwell and Lieutenant Diana Zhao enter. Diana is in a red security uniform and has her hand on her holstered phaser, looking around suspiciously, while Alex is in a gold command uniform and speaking on her communicator to Ado in the Faraday above. She says that the meeting with the local Starfleet contacts was very helpful- "We got a lot of information on this mysterious ship of ours: it's an old Walker class if you can believe that? But it has to upgunned, and the hull markings have a sword in a planet..." From above Ado replies that he's checked the ship database and requested more information from Starfleet HQ. He explains that there are no lost or otherwise unaccounted for Walker class ships that would fit the description, and that he has a hunch that this could be something above their clearance, referring to some hushed up reports he'd seen in London years ago "maybe something temporal, or another dimension, I don't quite remember the details..." Chartwell tells her First Officer to keep her posted and ends the call before looking back to Diana and waving her along "We need a drink- I know a guy..." Meanwhile aboard the ISS Ascendant the ship's Doctor Edward Lee is testing his toxins on a sample, dissolving it with a poisonous yellow cloud. He is interrupted by the Captain's Woman, Hanah Black who informs him they have a meeting with the Captain- and that the treasure fleet they've been tracking will soon be hit. The two have a short conversation about their circumstances: this new reality, which both find fascinating and guardedly agree is an opportunity. They meet the Captain on the bridge, and he is attended by a captured Orion woman- she is cuffed but stands defiantly. The Captain admonishes Lee for treating her wounds and is rebuked "you wanted the information in one piece" before the Orion is asked the destination of the treasure fleet. After an agonizer is used the Captain gets his answer "Eris VII". Black is sent to the navigation console and told to plot their ambush- the plan is to hit them once and scatter the convoy and then wait at the Eris outpost to strike the survivors "as they arrive in disarray one at a time- thinking they're safe and home." On Eris VII Captain Chartwell is having a drink with a heavyset Orion merchant prince and slave girls swan by, she is frowning as if with a headache, and as the prince launches into accusations that the Federation has been attacking shipping for the past month. A quick summary of the situation is given- that Chartwell is here to investigate what is going on and assist where she can, that there are three other Starfleet ships in the vicinity. The prince adds that the Klingons are here now- searching for a fight- and that they're all lucky this pirating 'Starfleet' ship has so far mostly been hitting Prime Order space... because "those are the only people who would be worse than a mad raider." Chartwell doesn't know much about the Order and the prince is dismissive "their Stormtroopers harass our settlements- have annexed some of the neutral colonies- but they're also good business I've heard. They deal with bounty hunters and gangs sometimes but they're all stiff uniforms and armor and I think they have pretensions to the whole Beta Quadrant." The conversation continues about just what assistance the Federation will provide, and Chartwell says first she'll be heading to Starbase 69 and then survey the systems hit by the supposed Starfleet raider- hoping she can catch it up. Act Two Edward Lee visits the Orion in the brig of the Ascendant, where he is surprised to find Hanah Black talking to the woman- they are discussing constellations innocently until the Orion points out where she is from and Black remarks that the Empire depopulated that world by plague. Lee laughs and apologizes for the navigator's "bedside manner" before checking in with the woman, Black excuses herself with the warning that this is the fifth time he is visiting the prisoner and that he should be careful given what they know Orions are capable of. Lee strikes up his own innocent conversation with the Orion, finding out she is called Tamara, and explains where he is from. He discusses Earth, the death of the Empress and a rebellion of subject species, Lee admits he's tired of the fighting and while others aboard the Terran ship are enraged by the prospect of not returning he is glad. The Orion suggests he wants to runaway and live a quiet life- that that doesn't seem particularly like something a Terran would want... but it is something a human, the Earth people of this reality, would want. Lee disagrees and admits there are "some scores to settle first." Later in his cabin aboard the Doctor and Poisoner is undressing, revealing scars all over his body, he is interrupted by Black who is drawn to the scars, and asks whether these "are from the Captain?" with the answer being "Some." Hanah Black hands over a tablet and activates a hologram, she has discovered that this area of space is not war torn like in their universe but full of unspoiled worlds. Black is certain the Captain intends to raid them and believes that they will try to establish their own kingdom here. Lee scoffs but agrees that is something the Captain would try. Back on Eris VII Diana Zhao is at the Starfleet embassy- really just a shopfront that overlooks a busy thoroughfare. She wonders with a local officer- in dark grey- what the locals think about the Federation after the emergence of the pirate ship. The local officer is Bhavya Kulkarni with not much other than the office, an attached garage, and shuttle, to work with. She has had to suspend humanitarian work- distributing meal packages to the settlement's unfortunates- because of new anti-Federation sentiments. They discuss threats to the region. Zhao is worried about Klingons arriving, but Kulkarni is more concerned about the Prime Order- "there's something not right about them. Everyone says they're week but they're bullies- and they aren't frightened, they're arrogant. It's like they know something none of us do" And as if on cue there's a sinister howl overhead that Zhao presses up to the window to look for. In a break in the canopy two Prime Order Special Forces fighters. Zhao and Kulkarni agree to see what's going on. Aboard the Faraday Captain Alex Chartwell and Ado Soninke are both in a science lab reviewing grainy footage of a Walker class ship attacking a trader. Neither can make out the name, Ado says he has word back from HQ and it comes with a caution. The caution is appended by Admiral Marcus which surprises them both since his conspiracy was defeated a couple of years ago. Ado is wary but reviews the information with his Commanding Officer. Together they learn about the mirror universe from a few highly classified debriefs. Chartwell is not happy- "if this is who is responsible then we're all in trouble..." She leaves in a hurry to message Starfleet HQ with what they know about the ship while Ado reads over things again. At the bottom of the document he is able to use his clearance code to access an advisory attributed to the long gone Marcus- "Hold for assistance". Act Three